1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loading tray for a tray-loading type optical disc reproducing device, and in particular to a tray for a tray-loading type optical disc reproducing device which can prevent an optical disc from being separated from an optical disc receiving side of the tray not only when the tray type optical disc recording/reproducing device is operated in a horizontal orientation, but also when it is operated in a vertical orientation.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, in order to prevent an optical disc from being separated from a loading tray T when a tray-loading type optical disc reproducing device is operated in a vertical operation, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of optical disc holder hook units 1 are provided at the outer edges of an optical disc receiving well 4 of the tray T composing the optical disc reproducing device, such as a CD-ROM drive, a DVD ROM drive or a CD audio player characterized by including a loading mechanism for loading and positioning an optical disc recording medium for reproducing by inserting the optical disc recording medium into a main body thereof, and rotating it by a turntable.
Each optical disc holder hook unit 1 is mounted on a hook stopper 2 which is fixed to an upper portion of the tray so that the holder hook unit 1 can be freely moved both radially inwardly and outwardly relative a central disc-receiving portion of the tray T, namely in the a and b directions shown in FIG. 1.
Accordingly, in case the tray T is vertically oriented(I,e., an edge), if the optical disc holding hook units I are moved toward a non-recording side of an optical disc in a state where the optical disc is received in the optical disc receiving well 4 of the tray T, the optical disc is prevented from being separated from the tray T.
However, the optical disc holding hook units 1 as shown in FIG. 1 are forcibly inserted into the tray T, and thus may be tightly or slackly moved in an inward or outward direction, which reduces reliability of the operation.
In addition, a user must manually moves the optical disc holding hook units in order to use the optical disc in a vertical orientation.
Also, in the case that the optical disc holding hook units are affected by the environmental conditions (especially high temperature), the optical disc hook units may contact the optical disc during reproducing of the optical disc, thereby damaging a surface of the optical disc.
Moreover, a number of components are required, which results in increased fabrication costs. An assembly process thereof is also quite complicated.
Accordingly, in order to overcome the above-described disadvantages, a loading tray as shown in FIG. 2 has been suggested.
Optical disc holders 10 exactly fixing the optical disc D to the receiving side of the tray T by clamping the non-recording side of the optical disc D are disposed on the outer edges of the optical disc receiving well of the tray T.
The optical disc holders 10 are provided to be freely movable between a first position (17, indicated in solid lines) for fixing the optical disc D to the tray T and a second position (18, indicated in broken lines) for releasing the optical disc D.
When the tray T is inserted into the disc reproducing device, holder releasing operation protrusions 22, 23, 24 connected to respective slider rails 20, 21 of the disc reproducing device are contacted with the holders 10, and thus clamp the optical disc to the tray T.
However, in the conventional loading tray for the optical disc reproducing device as shown in FIG. 2, the structure of the optical disc holders is complicated, thereby reducing assembly productivity. In addition, when the optical disc reproducing device is vertically oriented, and the optical disc is inserted thereinto, the optical disc may be separated from the tray.
Also, since a special optical disc holder structure is employed, the optical disc may contact with the tray during rotation, and thus a surface thereof may be damaged.
Therefore, in order to overcome such disadvantages, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a tray shaped to operate as an optical disc holder has been developed, instead of separately providing a movable optical disc holder.
Referring to FIG. 3, the tray T is formed with an optical disc receiving well 30 having a slightly greater diameter than the optical disc.
At predetermined portions of the upper surfaces of optical disc guide walls 31 which correspond to sidewalls of the optical disc receiving well 30 are formed fixing protrusions 32a, 32b and moving protrusions 33a, 33b.
In order to position the optical disc on the optical disc receiving surface 30, the moving protrusions 33a, 33b are pushed in the direction A shown in FIG. 3 to permit the outer edge of the optical disc to be inserted between the fixing protrusions 32a, 32b and the optical disc receiving well 30.
Here, the moving protrusions 33a, 33b are moved outwardly, and thus deformed. As a result, the optical disc may be inserted into the optical disc receiving well 30.
At least one fixing protrusion and at least one moving protrusion are formed at the lateral edges of the optical disc receiving well 30. Even if the tray T is vertically positioned, the optical disc is not separated from the optical disc receiving well 30.
However, in the structure as shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the optical disc may be easily damaged when the optical disc is extracted or inserted.
Accordingly, in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage, a tray for an optical disc reproducing device as shown in FIG. 4 has been suggested. A 12 cm optical disc receiving well 40 and an 8 cm optical disc receiving well 50 are formed in the tray T, respectively. A bottom surface 41 corresponding to the optical disc D is formed in the 12 cm optical disc receiving well 40. The optical disc D when vertically oriented is captively supported within a space defined by lateral wells 42, 43 and protrusions 44, 44', 44".
The operation of the optical disc reproducing device employing a loading tray as shown in FIG. 4 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5a to 6.
First, when the optical disc reproducing device is installed into a computer in a horizontal orientation, as depicted in FIG. 5a, the 12 cm optical disc D is horizontally positioned on the bottom surface 41 of the 12 cm optical disc receiving well 40 of the tray T.
Here, the 12 cm optical disc D is positioned on the bottom surface 41, not contacted with the protrusions 44, 44', 44".
In the case that the 12 cm optical disc D is transferred into a main body B of the optical disc reproducing device together with the tray T, it is clamped by a damper (not shown) on a turntable 3, rotated by a motor M and reproduced by an optical head P.
On the other hand, when the 8 cm optical disc D' is employed, referring to FIG. 5b, the 8 cm optical disc D' is horizontally positioned on the bottom surface 51 of the 8 cm optical disc receiving well 50 of the tray T.
When the 8 cm optical disc D' is transferred into the main body B of the optical disc device together with the tray T, it is clamped by the damper on the turntable 3, rotated by the motor M and reproduced by the optical head P.
However, when the optical disc reproducing device is installed into a computer in a vertical orientation, as shown in FIG. 6a, the outer edged of the one side of the 12 cm optical disc D extends downwardly due to gravity.
Referring to FIGS. 6a and 6b, the outer edged of non-recording side thereof is supported by the protrusions 44, 44', 44", thereby preventing the optical disc D from falling out in the Z direction.
Here, as illustrated in FIG. 6a, a center .theta.1 of a hole of the 12 cm optical disc D is positioned lower than a center .theta.2 of the turntable 3 by .delta..
In this state, if the user pushes a loading button, a tray moving unit (not shown) is operated, and thus the tray T is moved in the Y1 direction as shown in FIG. 6a.
The 12 cm optical disc D is roughly vertically maintained, and transferred into the main body B of the optical disc reproducing, together with the tray T.
Here, when the optical disc is moved from a position just before a final receiving position to the final receiving position, as illustrated in FIG. 6c, a downwardly protruding portion thereof, namely a lower edge portion d is guided by a guide unit 60.
That is, the optical disc D is guided and ascended by the guide unit 60, and thus moved simultaneously toward the center of the tray T and toward the bottom surface 41. Here, a centering operation of an initial stage is performed.
The double-dashed broken line in FIG. 6c denotes this state.
However, the optical disc D is not properly positioned in order to face the clamper of the main body B of the optical disc reproducing device.
Thereafter, a turntable loading unit (not shown) is operated, and thus the turntable 3 is moved and the optical disc D is clamped by the damper of the turntable 3.
In more detail, during the clamping operation, the optical disc is centered by a tapered centering unit C at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 6c, namely a position slightly separated from the guide unit 60.
That is, the center .phi.1 of the optical disc is moved along a trace indicated by reference numerals 61, 62, 63, reaches a final position .theta., and is centered.
In this state, the optical disc D is rotated by the motor M, and reproduced by the optical head 3.
However, the tray as shown in FIG. 4 does not include a centering device for the optical disc. Accordingly, when the user eccentrically positions the optical disc, and the optical disc is centered, the disc may be rubbed against the tray. That is to say, when the user eccentrically positions the optical disc, and the optical disc is then centered, the surface thereof may be damaged due to contact with the tray during rotation.
In addition, while the tray is being loaded or unloaded, the optical disc may become separated therefrom.